Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Prologues -- What's your opinion?

Prologues --- What's your opinion?

Prologues usually annoy me, and I tend to skip them unless they are very very short. I realize they can serve a purpose, when used as quick intro to the back story, but at other times they seem like they give out way too much info. In general, I prefer to learn the back story through flashbacks as I read.

I read a lot of dystopias, and post-apocalyptics, and the prologues are essential because they tell what happened and what you need to know before starting the story. But admittedly that is a special case for a special genre.

For me, a prologue is part of the story and so I always start with it, if there is one. I can't say I have any problems with them or ever have. Introductions or forwards which aren't actually part of the story are another matter though. I have mixed feelings about those.

I read the prologues (not sure why it never occurred to me to skip it) and do think while they might sometimes gove away too much they do set a framework. And if the book is successful you will probably have forgotten about it by the end!

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